2008 Woodie Awards
Opportunity thefts preventable
Andrea Bartlow
Issue date: 12/8/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
With finals approaching and students ready to pack up and go home for winter break, it is important to take steps to prevent theft from vehicles around campus.
Although Central Public Safety officers did not confirm an increase in the number of car robberies over the course of the semester, detective sergeant Matt Vessar said that this time of the year does create more opportunities for burglars.
"There has not been an increase in the number of vehicle robberies around campus, largely due to the fact that our patrolling officers are aggressive and do a great job of watching the activity around the parking lots," Vessar said. "Around the days before winter break, however, people start packing up their cars and leave their valuables in plain sight, creating an incentive for a thief to break into their vehicles."
Vessar said burglars often "window shop" before they decide which vehicle to break into, looking for valuables such as stereos, CD's, wallets and loose change. When these items are left in clear view inside the car, a thief is more likely to attempt to steal them than from a vehicle where no valuables are in sight.
"The best advice I can give drivers, besides locking all their doors, is to keep valuables concealed," Vessar said. "Put things under car seats, or in the trunk."
Public Safety Sgt. Kim Drake said Central's Public Safety works closely with the Warrensburg Police Department to solve cases of vehicle thefts. Drake said that in several instances a single criminal who has been caught breaking into a vehicle outside of campus has also confessed to be responsible for several car thefts taken place at Central's parking lots.
"Fortunately, in the case of car thefts, it's less people committing most of the crimes, and once we catch one of them we are able to solve several cases," said Drake.
She said most of the incidents occur during the night and at residential parking lots, particularly in the lot east of the Panhellenic complex and the lots by Nattinger and Bradshaw.
"The commuter parking lots are not as heavily used during the night," Drake said. "At the residential lots, there are a large number of cars and they parked close together."
Drake said the best advice she can give students, faculty and staff is to remember to lock all their car doors and keep their valuables hidden away.
"Car thieves will often go around parking lots checking car doors to see if any are left unlocked, and looking through car windows for anything that may seem to be of value," Drake said.
Kristina Walker, a senior majoring in psychology at Central, said she is used to locking all her doors and being cautious of the things she leaves laying around in her car.
"I'm from New York, so I'm already a bit paranoid," Walker said. "But I definitely think everyone should be careful not to give burglars a chance to take something from them. Leaving a door unlocked is doing the job for them."
Although Central Public Safety officers did not confirm an increase in the number of car robberies over the course of the semester, detective sergeant Matt Vessar said that this time of the year does create more opportunities for burglars.
"There has not been an increase in the number of vehicle robberies around campus, largely due to the fact that our patrolling officers are aggressive and do a great job of watching the activity around the parking lots," Vessar said. "Around the days before winter break, however, people start packing up their cars and leave their valuables in plain sight, creating an incentive for a thief to break into their vehicles."
Vessar said burglars often "window shop" before they decide which vehicle to break into, looking for valuables such as stereos, CD's, wallets and loose change. When these items are left in clear view inside the car, a thief is more likely to attempt to steal them than from a vehicle where no valuables are in sight.
"The best advice I can give drivers, besides locking all their doors, is to keep valuables concealed," Vessar said. "Put things under car seats, or in the trunk."
Public Safety Sgt. Kim Drake said Central's Public Safety works closely with the Warrensburg Police Department to solve cases of vehicle thefts. Drake said that in several instances a single criminal who has been caught breaking into a vehicle outside of campus has also confessed to be responsible for several car thefts taken place at Central's parking lots.
"Fortunately, in the case of car thefts, it's less people committing most of the crimes, and once we catch one of them we are able to solve several cases," said Drake.
She said most of the incidents occur during the night and at residential parking lots, particularly in the lot east of the Panhellenic complex and the lots by Nattinger and Bradshaw.
"The commuter parking lots are not as heavily used during the night," Drake said. "At the residential lots, there are a large number of cars and they parked close together."
Drake said the best advice she can give students, faculty and staff is to remember to lock all their car doors and keep their valuables hidden away.
"Car thieves will often go around parking lots checking car doors to see if any are left unlocked, and looking through car windows for anything that may seem to be of value," Drake said.
Kristina Walker, a senior majoring in psychology at Central, said she is used to locking all her doors and being cautious of the things she leaves laying around in her car.
"I'm from New York, so I'm already a bit paranoid," Walker said. "But I definitely think everyone should be careful not to give burglars a chance to take something from them. Leaving a door unlocked is doing the job for them."